GNAT in the news

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Review classification of Senior High Schools – GNAT

24th Feb 2023    |    Source: CNR Citi Newsroom

 

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called for a review of the classification of Senior High Schools (SHS) in Ghana.

According to the teacher union, the current placement challenge is due to the grading of the schools into various categories.

Currently, Senior High Schools in Ghana are placed into categories ranging from A to D, depending on their academic performance.

However, GNAT believes the categorization must be reviewed to prevent associated challenges.

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Thomas Musah speaking to Citi News said the classification creates the impression that some schools are not good enough.

“If you classify one school as A, another as B and another as C, it creates the impression that the C schools are not good, and I think we must do away with the grades A, B, C and D [categorization].”

Meanwhile, the Free SHS Secretariat has disclosed that it has resolved 99% of school placement issues at the GNAT resolution centre in Accra.

The secretariat, following the release of the schools for SHS 1 students set up resolution centres across the country to address outstanding challenges.

Some students have since brought to the attention of the secretariat issues of no placement, change of schools, residential status and gender issues.

Giving an update on work done so far, the Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS secretariat, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah said the resolution centres will be open for six weeks to have all concerns addressed.

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Teachers renew calls to scrap double track system

Source: REYMOND AWUSEI JOHNSON

February 11, 2023

 

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) wants the Ghana Education Service (GES) to create a module to put an end to the double-track system.

The system was implemented in response to the increased number of students admitted following the implementation of the Free Senior High School program.

Teachers, on the other hand, have expressed concern that the breaks provided are insufficient.

Speaking on Citi News, Thomas Musah, GNAT General Secretary said following the release of the 2023 academic calendar, the government must return to the traditional academic calendar.

“The teachers are working around the clock 24/7. If we do not return to the old system, a lot of teachers will be depressed. Some will start having some chronic illnesses that the country cannot be able to handle.”

“Teachers who are to train the future leaders will start falling sick. Attendance will be affected, teachers can’t deliver, and will mean that quality assurance among all won’t be guaranteed. Output levels will be affected. Particularly, with the double-track system, it’s terrible. Teachers are teaching from January to December”, he lamented.

The Ghana Education Service (GES), has released the 2023 academic calendar for all government schools.

The GES in a statement on February 8, 2023, directed all regional directors in the country to ensure that heads of schools for Basic and Second Cycle Schools in their respective regions comply accordingly.

“Regional Directors are by this letter directed to ensure that Heads of Schools for Basic and Second Cycle Schools in their respective regions take note of the provisions in the attached calendar and comply accordingly to facilitate a smooth running of the academic year,” the statement read.

For double-track students in form 3 who resumed school on January 10, 2023, the GES noted that they will go on break between April 6 -16, 2023, and return on April 17, 2023.

The students will then go on another break between June 2-8, 2023. They will resume on June 9 and stay in schools up to September 15, 2023, to end the academic year for the first term.

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Govt defaults payment of teachers Tier 2 for 9 months, pensioners in a big mess

Source: Adomfmonline

January 27, 2023 

 

Four teacher unions have accused the government of defaulting in the payment of their Occupational Pension Scheme (Tier 2) contributions to the Ghana Education Service.

The aggrieved unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Tertiary Educational Workers Union.

 

The default, according to them, spans over nine months as the last payment was made in March 2022.

 

Four teacher unions have accused the government of defaulting in the payment of their Occupational Pension Scheme (Tier 2) contributions to the Ghana Education Service.

The aggrieved unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Tertiary Educational Workers Union.

 

The default, according to them, spans over nine months as the last payment was made in March 2022.

 
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Teachers going on pension will suffer – GNAT Sec on Tier 2 arrears

Source: Kodwo Mensah Aboroampah

 
 

The General Secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah, says pensioners are having a hard time due to the unpaid tier two for them.

Mr Musah says looking at those on pension, for the past two years, their daily livelihood is nothing to write home about.

The tier 2, according to the General Secretary, is profitable according to how much profit is made on the contributions made.

This means, what the teachers receive is according to the profit the tier 2 contributions make.

GNAT is lamenting that for every month, the amount the government deducts is about 35 million to 36 million Ghana Cedis which by law, within 14 days, the government must put in the fund, if not, then the government must pay a 3% interest for it.

Mr Musah disclosed that although government defaulted, no effort has been made to pay the three percent which is affecting the scheme.

The National Pension Regulatory Authority, which is supposed to ensure that government complies by paying their deduction, is doing nothing about the situation.

He added that the scheme can only pay anyone going on pension or anyone on pension based on the last deduction which is March 2022.

This comes at the back of a joint statement by the leadership of four teacher unions who said the government makes monthly deductions from their salaries for payment of their Occupational Pension Scheme (Tier 2) contributions to the Ghana Education Service.

The aggrieved unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Tertiary Educational Workers Union.

The default, according to them, spans over nine months as the last payment was made in March 2022.
This means workers who went on pension last year are in a big mess as their pension calculations would be affected.


In a joint statement by the leadership of the unions, they said the government makes monthly deductions from their salaries for the purpose of the contribution.


However, the government is in arrears of over GH¢400 million.


The groups have, therefore, given the government up to the end of February 2023 to settle all arrears.

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4 pre-tertiary teacher unions give ultimatum to Controller and Accountant General’s Department to pay pension contributions

January 28, 2023

 

 

Four pre-tertiary teacher unions have given the Controller and Accountant General’s Depart­ment up to the end of February 2023 to pay their pen­sion contributions of GH¢433, 379, 819.90.

They are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Con­cerned Teachers (CCT-Ghana, Teachers and Educational Work­ers’ Union (TEWU).

“We the pre-tertiary union in education would like to bring to the attention of the public through the media the unfortunate development with regards to the non-payment of deductions by government to the Ghana Educa­tion Service Occupational Pension Scheme.”

This was contained in a press release issued and jointly signed by the General Secretary of the GNAT, Mr Thomas Musah, President of the NAGRAT, Eric Agbe-Carbonu, Mr King Ali, Pres­ident, CCT-GH, Awudu and Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, General Secretary of the TEWU.

The statement revealed that the last payment from the Controller and Accountant General’s Depart­ment to their pension scheme was for the month of March 2022, which was paid in January 2023, which means nine months of outstanding payments.
 

It said, “If by the end of February 2023 all the arrears are not paid, we have no other option than as the first line of action, take the necessary steps to ensure that the regulator’s (National Regula­tory Authority) fees are not paid effective March 2023”.

The unions said the resultant danger of the situation was that the educational worker was been denied any investment value of his or her contribution

 BY TIMES REPORTER

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Tomorrow is World Teachers’ Day

By GNA
 

 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) has instituted every October 5 as

World Teachers’ Day to honour and celebrate teachers around the globe.

The aim is to focus on, “assessing, appreciating and improving educators around the world”.

It also provides opportunity to discuss issues relating to teachers and teaching.

The Day, established in 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 International Labour

Organisation/UNESCO recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which is a standard-setting instrument that

addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world.

This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as

well as the continuing education of teachers, their employment, and working conditions.

This year’s theme is: “The transformation of education begins with teachers.”

Ghana will commemorate the Day at Tamale, Northern Region, on Wednesday, October 05, 2022.

Mr Peter Tetteh Korda, Public Relations Officer, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), in an interview

with the Ghana News Agency, said the Association in September launched the GNAT Week and the World Teachers Day

celebration in Tamale, Northern Region.

He said the Day would celebrate how teachers were transforming education and reflect on the support

they needed to fully deploy their talent.

Mr Korda said GNAT had earlier organised a two-day symposium from Monday, October 3, 2022 to

Tuesday October 4, 2022 in Tamale as part of activities to mark the Day.

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